WSL talking points: Arroyo faces heat after 7-3 rout and James sparkles for Chelsea | OneFootball

City put on show of attacking strength

If there were any questions about how Manchester City would respond to seeing their unbeaten league run end, they were quickly put to bed. Andrée Jeglertz’s side were back to their free-flowing attacking best, putting six past Leicester. Dominant seems to be a bit of an understatement when describing this performance. The league leaders created 31 chances, with 15 on target; had an expected goals of 4.63; registered 66 touches in the opposition box; and made 600 of 660 passes (91%). The front four of Lauren Hemp, Bunny Shaw, Kerolin and Vivianne Miedema is formidable and they were involved, to some degree, in five of the six goals. Hemp starred down the left, creating 11 chances that include two assists; Shaw sent home a trademark header for her 15th league goal of the season; Miedema pulled the strings and grabbed herself a double; and Kerolin scored the pick of the bunch and registered an assist. Sophie Downey

James proves to be Chelsea’s headline act

Lauren James was the headline act in Chelsea’s win 2-0 over Liverpool with a trademark finish and an assist for Sjoeke Nüsken’s opener. In a game defined by which team were able to take their opportunities, James’s ability to be the gamechanger shone through, first as a more central forward, then on the wing. It was also a reminder of the fact Sonia Bompastor has been unable to call upon her quality for long periods owing to an ankle injury sustained at last summer’s European Championship. This was her sixth league start and first 90 minutes. “When she is performing at this level, she is one of the first that you put in your starting XI,” Bompastor said. “[It’s] important going into the business end of the season to have a player of this quality who is performing at that level. The most important thing is to keep her as fit as possible … It’s important for her to build on this fitness.” SD

Phelan’s appointment sparks Everton revival

Everton’s 1-0 win over West Ham continued an unexpected surge under their interim head coach, Scott Phelan. After Everton parted ways with Brian Sørensen two weeks ago, the club turned to their under-18s coach, a move that has paid dividends. An early Honoka Hayashi goal secured a third straight WSL victory and back-to-back home wins (the first came under Sørensen), making Phelan the first Everton manager to win their opening two WSL matches. He described it as “the perfect day” and said: “At one point, we probably thought this would be bricks and rubble, so the fact that we’ve continued the legacy at Goodison Park and we have that honour of playing and winning games here is something we need to make the most of.” With a Merseyside derby in the FA Cup next, Everton suddenly carry momentum rather than pressure. Réshma Rao

Pressure rises on Arroyo as Villa concede seven

The pressure on Natalia Arroyo significantly increased after her struggling Aston Villa side conceded seven at home against Tottenham. Villa’s defensive fragilities were laid bare again, with four Spurs goals scored in 16 second-half minutes. It took Villa’s goals conceded for the season up to 36 – the worst in the league – and left them ninth. Arroyo suggested that although she had received support from the board, her job could be at risk. The manager said: “It’s not me deciding that. I will be judged by results and my results aren’t talking nicely about my work.” Arroyo continued: “It was like being thrown in a swimming pool and not allowed to get air – it was cruel. I am really sorry and disappointed.” Emillia Hawkins

United extend winning run despite busy schedule

Sometimes you have to win, even if it’s not pretty. That’s what Manchester United did in a gritty 2-1 victory against London City Lionesses. It comes in the midst of a packed fixture list, with the club juggling midweek Champions League games as a new challenge. With that comes increased risk of fatigue, injury and illness. But Marc Skinner said he believed his team “always find a way” and that the result was “one of the biggest wins of the season”. The head coach said: “It’s not easy to come off the pitch that we played on midweek [against Atlético Madrid], get back at 4 am and produce a winning performance today.” It means United extended their winning run to seven in all competitions, and are seven games unbeaten in the WSL. Renuka Odedra

Fans deserve better after postponement

Brighton v Arsenal was postponed two hours before kick-off because of a waterlogged pitch at Broadfield Stadium, despite it having protective covers on. For weeks there have been flood warnings issued by the Met Office, so might it have been sensible to have switched this one in advance to the Amex Stadium, given there were no conflicts with the men’s team schedule? Brighton’s owner, Tony Bloom, said last year when talking about a new ground for the women’s team that the Amex was “too big of a stadium” and that “having four, five or six thousand in a 36,000-seater stadium isn’t great for atmosphere”. But for fans who navigate a congested fixture list, this game deserved foresight it didn’t receive. RO

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